The Android Crisis: Day 1
by DeathGoblin
Summary: This is just something new I'm trying out. It's my first story written in first person. Each chapter tells the perspective of a character (Piccolo, Vegeta, Tienshinhan, Krillin, and Dr Gero respectively) during te day when Androids 17 & 18 killed them.
1. Piccolo

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z, or have any affiliation or rights to it.

I was floating in the air, sitting cross-legged in front of a waterfall. It was how I'd started all my mornings since Goku's death six months ago. I didn't want to stray too far from Mt. Paozu, I had to watch over Gohan.

I could feel the temperature rising with the sun. Springtime was slowly giving way to summer and soon the days would grow oppressively hot. Being a Namekian was especially useful at such times. Our planet had three suns and constant daylight.

There was activity in the Son household. I could sense it. Gohan and Chichi had always been early risers. _6 am, and it's a weekday. Gohan will have to leave for school in a few hours._ I sighed quietly. That boy loved studying far too much.

It was time to spar, so I turned my attention away from Gohan and split into two using the multiform. I'd long since given up trying to surpass Goku, but I wasn't about the let Vegeta pull too far ahead.

Fighting with myself had grown dull. I was already used to countering my own moves. If only Gohan would train with me, but that woman wouldn't let me anywhere near him now that Goku was gone. She was just like all the others, judging me as a monster, though I honestly couldn't blame her.

It was around 8 am when I ended the sparring session. I resumed my sitting position, this time planted firmly on the ground at a ledge near the top of the waterfall. Checking back in on Gohan, I found him at the school he now attended. How he could stand being there for 6 hours was beyond me.

Then I began thinking about my home world. It had been a while since I had last probed Nail's memories for information about it. It was the one place I knew where the inhabitants wouldn't judge me by my appearance. _Humans!_ My fists clenched as I remembered how they had treated me, back when Kami and I were one.

Goku was gone, and Vegeta was hardly a replacement. I could easily resume my quest for world domination. However, Gohan wouldn't approve of that at all. He was the one person I truly cared for, the others hardly mattered to me, except for Goku, but he was dead. My heart rate returned to normal as I reigned in my emotions. I would never willingly harm my only friend, even to fulfill my father's goal. _Come to think of it, I did technically kill Goku._ This brought a smile to my face. _Perhaps my mission has already been accomplished. Now all that's left is to watch over Gohan._

At 9:30, Kami's emotions invaded my mind. Though we were technically one being, our thoughts rarely mingled, I knew that something had to have spooked him. Upon further probing I was annoyed to find out that he'd apparently seen ghosts darting across the sky. "Ghosts," I muttered. The old man appeared to be going senile. _Perhaps I ought to absorb him._ I immediately dismissed that idea. The old man annoyed me greatly and I doubted that I could handle becoming one with him.

Kami's nervousness appeared to die down, though I knew that he was really suppressing his emotions to avoid disturbing me. _He's still looking for those ghosts._ What annoyed me most was that he didn't think to try and sense their power levels. All living beings would have some sort of power signature. "_If you can't sense them, then they're not real,_" I said to him telepathically. He didn't listen.

Though his emotions had died down, I could still faintly detect his nervousness. As things were, I could not meditate. I had half mind to head up there and tell the old man to shut up. I was even willing to show him that these ghosts were figments of his imaginations.

I had restrained myself from doing anything for about half an hour, in the vain hope that the old man would get over his fear. _"Piccolo please listen to me. You must head over to Amembo Island." _I could tell that something had happened. Kami and I rarely spoke.

"This better not be ghosts," I said out loud as I took off, heading south towards the island. It didn't occur to me that I ought to ask him what he knew of the situation during my flight. I assumed that it was just some natural disaster; after all, there were no significant power levels on the island.

My frustration with Kami seemed to melt away as I saw the smoke cloud, moments before coming upon the city, set ablaze, with desperate crowds of terrified people scrambling amongst the ruins. For the first time, I felt a sense of sympathy for them as they struggled to find a safe refuge amongst the ruins. _Gohan really has gotten to me_, I thought, smiling faintly.

When I landed amongst the rubble, the unpleasant odor of charred flesh mingled with the smoke. I hated that smell and was determined to return to the waterfall as soon as possible. I noticed that everyone around me was running from the same spot, and as I approached it, a ki blast emerged from the smoke, heading towards me.

It was easy to block it, but I was now confused. I hadn't sensed anyone here. _It can't be Vegeta_, I thought. He was miles away. As if on cue, two figures emerged from the smoke, heading straight towards me with eerie grins on their faces. The part that unnerved me the most was the fact that I couldn't sense anything from them, and I instinctively knew that they were the ones responsible.

"I can tell that you're not ordinary humans. What are you two?"

The male one, at least that's what he sounded like, spoke up. "We are artificial beings, the new masters of this world," he said in a smooth voice. "I was wondering when one of you'd show up, Piccolo. Tell me, where's Goku. He's the one who our creator built us to destroy."

I was taken aback; he knew things about me, yet I knew next to nothing about them. "I don't care who you think you are," I replied harshly. "However, I'm not going to let you do whatever you please. As for Goku I doubt you two could've beaten him. Though there's no point in my telling you why." I stripped off my weighted clothing. There would be no mercy for these two.

I sensed Vegeta approaching, and intended to finish this before he arrived. I raised an eyebrow when the female stepped forward. "Alright 17, let me handle this one. You can have the next one." The male nodded to her and stepped back. "Try to amuse me," she said.

I bared my fangs at her. "I'll do more than that!" I rushed in to land the first blow, but she vanished. _Where is she?_ I frantically scanned the area, and when I looked at her companion, he directed my attention upward. She was standing on the roof of one of the buildings, looking down at me with that accursed smile.

"Try to keep up." I could feel my blood boiling at that.

"Try this!" I began firing ki blasts, which she dodged effortlessly as if we were playing a game. I saw an opening and managed to send her into a nearby building with a kick to the gut. However she looked completely unscathed when she emerged.

Now she was starting to laugh at me. "Is that really all you can do? It's too bad, but I think you ought go running to Goku for help."

My body was now shaking and I was sure my blood was boiling. I clenched my fist tightly to exhaust some of the stress. She was obviously a powerful opponent and I could only assume the same for her brother. "I'm afraid that Goku won't be fighting you," I said as calmly as possible.

"Is that so?" She was now frowning at me. "Then there's no point in keeping you around. You're no fun." Suddenly she was behind me, and moments later I was eating pavement. My back was now aching terribly, all from just one hit.

_If I'm gone then who will protect Gohan?_ That question was what helped me stand up. The little monster was now standing several feet away from me, daring me to attack. _I have to destroy her…there has to be some weakness._ She turned to her companion to say something. My eyes widened and I mustered my strength and leapt towards her. I'd decapitate her, then there would only be one left for Gohan to deal with.

She vanished moments before my chop made contact. _Behind me!_ Anticipating her next move, I turned and felt a terrible pain as her foot made contact with my gut. It was nauseous, winded, and in pain all at once. My body went limp and I was soon facedown on the ground. _Gohan…I'm sorry._ With that I gave up and then everything went dark.

* * *

For people waiting for the next chapter of Galactic War, I am working on the next chapter (its currently about 2 pages), but I just felt inspired to do this so...here it is. I will update Galactic War, but it might take a while. I don't want to force it.

I hope you like my take on Piccolo.


	2. Vegeta

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z, or have any affiliation or rights to it.

The wasteland I stood in reflected my heart. It was empty and nearly lifeless. Upon his death, Kakarot had taken with him any chances for me to reclaim my honor. The mere thought of that clown living it up in otherworld while I languished down here was infuriating.

"That stupid virus!" I embedded my fist in the ground below. What was worse than Kakarot dying? Knowing that he was killed by the lowest possible life forms. Bulma even said that many scientists didn't even consider them alive. "How? How could a mere virus do what I could not?"

The sun was setting on this pitiful wasteland, the same location where Kakarot had defeated Freeza and King Cold 3 years earlier. He'd done it, not once, but twice. He'd taken my victory away from, only to die before I could reclaim it. As I rose into the air, I began looking down at the sparse habitat below me, my eyes adapting to the decreasing levels of light.

I could blow this planet into oblivion any moment I wanted to. The thought reminded me of one crucial fact. Now I was the strongest being in the universe. Who could stop me? Neither the Namekian nor Kakarot's half-breed son could. They were the only ones whose powers remotely approached my own.

_Perhaps I should kill Kakarot's son while I have the chance. I wouldn't want to be surpassed twice._ Shaking my head, I began heading back towards West City. It was pointless now. Even if I did become the emperor of the universe, it would only be so because I was lucky that a mere virus saw fit to eliminate my only competition.

Besides, Kakarot's son wouldn't threaten me anyway. He was far too busy studying, a waste of his potential. Then I began thinking about my own son. I should never have allowed that woman to tempt me. She would always insist that I at least hold my son. That boy…he was nothing more than a mistake, and a constant reminder of how I'd polluted the royal bloodline.

Father would be disappointed. A saiyan prince who was surpassed by a mere low level who then sunk lower by polluting the lineage. What would Tarble think? On second thought I couldn't care less for my long lost brother, he was probably dead anyway.

I could see the tops of the skyscrapers peaking above the horizon. West City was just a few miles away. However, I felt a jolt as the Namekian's power suddenly rose. He was on the move after so long. Now this was interesting, or at least a distraction from my damaged pride. So I changed my course, heading southeast.

As I got closer I could sense the Namekian's power rising. Not that I was worried, but now I could tell that there was a battle. He wouldn't push himself so hard if he were sparring. Then it occurred to me that I was only sensing one power level. Why would the Namekian go there and unleash his power?

A smile came to my face, the first one since I had achieved the level of super saiyan mere days before Kakarot fell ill. Did Piccolo really think he was number 1 now that Kakarot was gone? I'd heard Bulma speak of how he used to be evil. No doubt he was just waiting for the right opportunity to pick up where he'd left off. _I can't wait to see the look on his face when I transform_. Some of my old pride was returning.

I picked up speed, I wanted to get there as soon as possible, though I was careful not to power up too much lest I scared the Namekian away. Then, when I was nearing the island, the Namekian's power began to drop. It had peaked just minutes ago, and now it was falling to near zero. It was just like what happened to Kakarot's brat when we fought Recoome.

I arrived at the island moments later and found the city utterly destroyed. It had to be Piccolo who did this. The others were just bleeding hearts like Kakarot. That didn't explain why his power had dropped, something that vexed me. Was he hiding from me? Then I heard laughing, and traced its source to two teenagers who were rising from the ruins.

They stopped when they noticed me. Both of them smiled, as if they had wanted me to be here. As they floated towards me, I realized that they might have been the ones who killed the Namekian. I still wasn't worried though.

"You must be Vegeta," said the boy. "My sister just finished off your friend Piccolo, so I guess I'll be fighting you." He advanced closer while his sister remained floating a significant distance away.

I raised an eyebrow. "You know of me, if that's the case then you're a fool for trying to challenge me on your own." This boy was a definitely a moron. "I'm not sure why I can't sense your power, but if you thinking beating the Namek is any indication of how well you'd do against me, then you're sorely mistaken," both of them seemed to snicker at this. I would soon shut them up. "I haven't even begun to tap into my power. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"I could say the same to you." That boy looked so arrogant. I couldn't wait to show him my true power, if I even needed to. In a moment he was gone, and I realized that he'd disappeared from my view. The girl was now grinning at me, mockingly so. I would deal with her shortly.

_Where is he hiding?_ I began glancing around, but no matter where I looked I couldn't see him. This was getting annoying. Upon hearing a giggle I looked over at the girl, who was now struggling to contain her laughter. Oh how I wanted to silence her, but this insolent boy would be the first… Something grabbed my leg, and in a moment I was being yanked down.

I couldn't fight the pull, and I must have sounded pathetic, yelling as whatever it was dragged me into the city below. My eyes shut tightly moments before my face would have hit the pavement, when I stopped. Upon opening my eyes I realized that the being pulling me had let go of my leg and I was now floating inches above the ground.

There was laughing, and I reoriented myself and to look up. The boy was hovering a few feet above me. "Wow Vegeta, I never realized you could be such a baby. I doubt that move would've actually hurt you much."

I was now growling at him and clenching my fists tightly. "Stop screwing around! I'm not here to play games with you! Come on," I motioned for him to come at me. "Let's see if you have the courage to take me head on." That boy might have caught me off guard, but it was just a fluke, and if all else failed I could still transform, then nothing in the universe would stop me.

He shrugged casually, as if I weren't a big deal. "Fine, if that's the way you want it." In a moment he'd vanished again, but this time he appeared in front of me, and sent me sailing back into the building behind me with a punch that nearly broke my nose.

When I got up and out of the building he started to attack me without mercy. I had no choice, but to cover my face with my arms. They probably thought I was pathetic, but I'd soon show them. The moment I felt the barrage end, I lashed out with a kick, but to my shock, he 'd caught my leg without much effort at all.

"Come on Vegeta." Now he appeared to be caught between boredom and amusement. "I expected more from both you and Piccolo, but I guess Goku will have to satisfy us after all."

I felt my blood boil. The Namekian's death was of no concern to me, but I couldn't stand this boy's other comment. "Are you insinuating that Kakarot is more powerful than me?" I had to admit that it was a reasonable opinion. Kakarot had proven his super saiyan mettle against Freeza twice; my super saiyan powers would never get such an opportunity.

He let go of my leg and shrugged. "You mean Goku right? Sure, I mean our mission is to destroy him, not you."

Despite the situation, I couldn't help smiling. _Looks like I'm not the only one that virus upstaged._ "I'm afraid you're too late. Kakarot met his end six months ago to a heart virus." I resumed glaring at him, my power rising. "However if he were alive, you'd have to get in line behind me!" I smiled in response to his surprise as I transformed. "It's time for me to show my true power."

Surprise quickly turned to amusement. "Wow…impressive light show Vegeta." He was mocking me again. Then he turned to his companion. "Hey 18, do you have any files on this?"

I looked up to see her shaking her head. "This isn't the kaioken…nor is it the oozaru. I'm just as stumped as you are."

"Don't take your eyes off me." I could feel my confidence returning. "I have now claimed my place as the most powerful warrior in the universe!" They looked unconvinced. "Kakarot might have slipped ahead initially, but now I'm number 1 once more. You don't stand a chance against me!"

He gave me a creepy grin the unsettled me somewhat. "Vegeta, your bold boasts will cost you. I'll find out if you are really all that strong." He dashed towards me, but he was in for a shock, when I vanished.

Oh how I enjoyed using his trick against him. Now I was behind him and wasted no time in sending him face-first into a nearby building. He wouldn't have any time to recover, because I was on him in moments. There was no way he could stop my punches, he was for all intents and purposes, my new punching bag.

My spirits were starting to lift. I sent the boy up into the air with a kick and flew up to pursue him. He vanished before I could hit him again, but I anticipated what he'd do. I turned around and swatted his pathetic ki blast with ease. He tried to punch me, but I caught his arm before driving my knee into his gut and then sending him crashing to the ground below.

"All right kid, I'm afraid that you're time is up," I looked to his sister, who was smiling. Did she know something I didn't? Why wasn't she helping her brother? Deciding to ignore her, I began bombarding the fallen boy with several ki blasts to soften him up before concluding with my new technique, the Big Bang attack. If I hadn't held back, I might've accidently blown up the planet.

The girl was still smiling; perhaps the fear had driven her insane. "I'll admit that your brother gave me an unexpected challenge," then I flared up my aura. "Unfortunately, there's not a being alive who can touch the legendary super saiyan!"

I had to laugh; my pride was beginning to return. Even if I could never beat Kakarot, I was now the most powerful being in the universe. It was mine for the taking. Freeza's undoubtedly failing empire could finally be brought under my control. I'd find a way to clone a female saiyan in order to give the royal bloodline a true successor, instead of that filthy half-breed mistake. Or better yet, I would just clone myself.

My laughing was cut short by a sharp pain in my back. The boy had survived. He withdrew his fist, and I turned around, annoyed, albeit a little amused. "So you've survived? That's impressive, but you should have escaped when you had the chance. This time I won't fail to kill you."

"This is good," he said, apparently ignoring my threat. "I'm glad that I got to use my full power today." He turned back to his sister. "At least we know that we could've beaten Goku if he'd been alive…assuming he's as strong as Vegeta."

I was starting to get angrier. "Fools! I am far superior to Kakarot! You can tell him that when I send you to join him in hell!" I fired another ki blast, and he leapt above it, as I had anticipated, but when I appeared behind him, he caught my leg as I attempted a kick. Then he swung me around before sending me hurtling through a building below and crashing onto the pavement. My injuries were negligible.

I sprung back up and began firing off volleys of ki, but he deflected them with ease and rushed in towards me. I blocked his oncoming kick and punched him in the gut, causing noticeable pain, but he recovered unnaturally fast and grabbed my arm before chucking me higher into the air. Then he fired a large ball of ki up at me, but I smashed it back down towards him.

He dodged past it and began attacking me relentlessly. I couldn't believe it; he was pushing me to my limits. I could barely block and counter his moves. How could a mere boy compete with the legendary super saiyan? The concept was infuriating.

I could feel my strength beginning to wane as the transformation took its toll, but the boy; he hadn't tired in the slightest. I thought I saw an opening and landed a punch to his cheek, but he sprung back instantly and kneed me in the gut, doubling me over. The pain I felt now was significant, but nothing compared to my pride. _First Kakarot, and now this boy! Does this planet wish to mock me?_

He backed away, giving me a few moments of respite, as if I needed it. "Feeling tired Vegeta?" His tone was like pouring salt on my wounded pride.

"If you think I'm going to lose to the likes of you, then," I pushed my power as high as it would go, knowing it wasn't near my maximum. "You and this entire planet can go to hell! In fact, I'll send you there myself!" I charged towards him. "Send my regards to Kakarot!"

He vanished again, but this time I wasn't fast enough to counter. I began to feel disoriented as he juggled me around in the air, hitting me, then intercepting me to attack again. A sharp blow to my gut from above sent me crashing to the ground. I'd never felt this badly beaten since I fought Freeza in his final form.

I struggled to my feet; my body was shaking. The boy landed in front of me, giving me that unsettling grin. "It's over," he said and I immediately responded with the strongest, and fastest punch I could muster. When he caught it, I felt the same way I had when Freeza deflected my most powerful blast. He kneed me sharply in the gut, causing me to collapse, face-first onto the ground. I could feel my strength slipping away, and I was no longer a super saiyan.

My body fell limp, and I felt a pain in my head as he lifted me up by the hair. Opening my eyes I saw that we were now eye to eye, and he had a malicious grin that I recognized all too well. I felt my stomach burning up as he placed a ball of ki against it with his free hand. "Tell Goku that his precious earth belongs to us." Those were the last sounds I heard before the blast ripped through my stomach.

* * *

I am planning to do Tien and Krillin later on. Please tell me what you think about Piccolo and Vegeta's chapters,


	3. Tienshinhan

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z, or have any affiliation or rights to it.

* * *

Chaotzu and I could sense Piccolo moving south. It was currently night in our part of the world, but morning where he was headed. We'd improved our powers significantly since our time on King Kai's planet. When I sensed Piccolo moving, I immediately knew something was off. He normally stayed around Goku's old house, watching over his son, Gohan.

"Tien, why is Piccolo moving after so long," asked Chaotzu, he sounded worried, and though I tried not to show it, I felt the same. "Do you think he's finally decided to take advantage of Goku's death?"

"Those are my thoughts exactly Chaotzu. Though I'd expect Vegeta to be the first to cause trouble, since Piccolo had proven himself to be somewhat trustworthy." I closed my eyes to expand my senses and better trace Piccolo's movements and Chaotzu followed suit. Soon I felt chill run down my spine as I sensed a massive loss of life in the direction Piccolo was headed. It was like many hot points suddenly going cold, as if the heat were being vacuumed out of them.

"Piccolo isn't causing that," exclaimed Chaotzu as he turned to me. My normal eyes were still closed, but the eye on my forehead would never close. "He's probably going to investigate the disturbance."

"There have been plenty of disturbances," I replied, remembering the hurricane that ravaged one of the south coasts, or the mass shooting that would have killed many more people in the nearby city if Chaotzu and I had not intervened. "Piccolo never responded to those, so why would this be any different. There are no larger powers at the location and the only other person whose remotely threatening is Vegeta, and he's far from that place."

"I still think he's responding to the disturbance," replied Chaotzu. "It doesn't make sense with what he's done before, but why else would he be going there?"

Just then we sensed Vegeta starting to head towards Piccolo's location. Shortly after that, we felt Piccolo's power surge. Chaotzu and I remained silent for the next few minutes, focusing one what felt like a battle involving Piccolo. Oddly, there was no opponent for him to fight, and I frowned as the reality of the situation dawned on me.

"He's shown his true colors," I said to Chaotzu. "He might be using the disturbance as a cover story, but there's no reason for him to crank his power up that high. Piccolo has to be terrorizing the populace and from what I'm sensing, Vegeta will soon enter the fray as well." I was so sure of my theory that when Piccolo's power died down minutes later, I didn't know what to think.

"Piccolo's dead." I didn't need Chaotzu to tell me that, but I knew what he was saying. With Vegeta heading towards the spot of Piccolo's disappearance, we'd soon see if there was something else going on or if he were just disguising his power to hide from the saiyan.

"This doesn't feel right Tien," said Chaotzu. "Piccolo didn't seem evil the last time we saw him…we have to find out what's happening over there."

"I agree, however I think we should go to Kami's place first." I hated to admit it, but both Piccolo and Vegeta outclassed me, and I was unwilling to approach either of them without knowing what I was going into.

We headed off towards the location of Korin Tower. On the way, my eyes widened when Vegeta's power spiked, reaching a level I thought only Goku could. _Apparently he's a super saiyan, there's no other way he'd be that strong._ Around 20 minutes later I heard Chaotzu gasp and could sense his growing fear when Vegeta's power also disappeared. We arrived a few minutes later and it was only about a minute of vertical flight before we arrived at the lookout.

Mr. Popo was weeping right in front of us when we arrived. He noticed us immediately after we touched down. "What's wrong?" I'd never seen him cry like this, maybe he did the last time Kami died, but I wasn't there. _Now that I think about it, Kami isn't here at all! _He looked up at me, and wiped the tears away as he brought his emotions under control.

"Kami is dead." I expected it, but to here him say it still brought a shock. "He died when Piccolo was killed…on Amembo Island. Kami had told him to go there when he saw some mysterious figures darting across the sky towards there. Apparently, those same figures were responsible for destroying the city that's on the island."

Chaotzu finally gathered to courage to speak. "Is Vegeta also dead?" Mr. Popo nodded. My friend then hesitated before asking a question that was on my mind as well. "Was he a super saiyan…like Goku?"

There was a pause. "Yes, and honestly, he might have even been stronger than Goku. He was definitely beyond Freeza and his father."

"That means that whatever killed Vegeta was even stronger than that." My fists clenched tightly. I couldn't believe how powerless I'd become. It wasn't too long ago that I had been the declared the strongest in the world. Of course, Goku was technically not weaker than me, but he wasn't leaps and bounds above me either.

"Tien…what should we do?" I looked over at Chaotzu. He depended on me and looked up to me. I couldn't falter in front of him.

I turned to Mr. Popo who was also looking at me expectantly. "I'm going to scope out the area." They both looked alarmed at the proposition. "Look, I sense Krillin and Yamcha moving and Gohan's power is also fluctuating. They'll be going there as well, so I ought to go and at least warn them."

"I'm coming too," said Chaotzu as he floated towards me.

I shook my head and smiled. "Sorry, but I'd rather you stay here where its safer. I'll be okay. Don't worry about me." I took off and flew towards Amembo Island.

I could sense Gohan heading towards the area and Krillin and Yamcha were flying to intercept him. _They have the right idea. Gohan might be our best chance._ Then I began to feel outclasses again. Chaotzu had left the lookout, and I couldn't help smiling. _He's following me in spite of what I said._

Chaotzu was far braver than he looked. He was so small yet still chose to help us fight and he blew himself up to try and save us from the saiyan Nappa. I knew he'd follow me. Even though I was stronger he still felt that it was his duty to look out for me. I couldn't blame him for that.

Amembo Island looked apocalyptic. All the buildings were at least partial damaged and there were a few craters scattered across the city. I scanned the area for signs of Piccolo or Vegeta, and with my third eye, I soon found them. At this point, Chaotzu caught up with me. I turned to him, trying to conceal my worry.

He saw right through my mask. "Whatever did this to Piccolo and Vegeta has to be stronger than both of us." Then an explosion erupted a few miles away. It was happening in another city on the mainland. "Tien, we have to be careful about this!" However I ignored his advice and rushed off to face them.

_I have to know what did this! _On some level I also wanted to prove myself by beating whatever beat Vegeta and Piccolo. We arrived at the city in less than a minute. It was a coastal town, and was apparently in the process of evacuation. Unlike the island, they would have been able to run into the surrounding wilderness, though most city folk weren't equipped to survive there.

Another explosion occurred further into the city and I realized it had been cause by a ki blast. _So it was a person, but why can't I sense anyone?_ I turned to Chaotzu, but he was just as clueless. We cautiously flew towards the crater that the new blast formed. There was no sign of whoever had caused this as I scanned the crater intensely with all three eyes.

Chaotzu screamed in horror and I turned to him rapidly, feeling a sudden chill of fear. My best friend was in their clutches. There were two of them, one was a girl with blond shoulder-length hair and the other was a boy who looked almost as feminine as his sister, but his hair was black. Both were giving me the most sadistic and unsettling grin I had ever seen and I knew instinctively that they had killed Vegeta and Piccolo. The worst part was that I had no way of gauging their strength.

The male dangled Chaotzu in front of me, holding him up by the back of his shirt. Chaotzu was now too frightened to move. He looked from him to me and smiled. "Aren't you going to save him Tienshinhan?"

I didn't pay attention to the fact that he knew my name. All I knew was that my best friend was now at his mercy, and I was the only one who could save him. When I tensed up to make a move he suddenly threw Chaotzu towards me, and then blasted him point-blank. I was frozen as I watched my best friend's dying, smoldering body fall to the ground below. Sadness, fear, and rage all mingled together, fighting for dominance in my head.

Rage won out and I rushed towards the boy with the intent to kill him however the girl intervened and knocking me aside and into a building with a simple backhand; an impressive feat of strength. Then I could now hear them talking. She wanted to fight me. Apparently they were dividing up who gets to kill whom.

At first I expected to be killed at any moment, but then I sensed Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha heading in our general direction and that made me think of Goku. What would he do? Goku had always been one of the strongest warriors on the planet and even when outmatched, he still never gave in to his enemy. He'd proven that many times over, even when Freeza and his stronger father had his back to the wall.

I got to my feet and began planning. They were still discussing whom they'd kill. As far as they were concerned, we were already dead, it was just a matter of deciding how we should die, but I would soon prove the, wrong. A quick glance outside revealed a large plate of glass that was partially buried in the ground, propped up by the skeletal structure of a damaged building. Now the plan was coming together. I had a technique that even Vegeta might have had trouble with.

For the first phase I used the multiform to split into two, and my first half rushed out to face the two monsters. They both turned to look at me, smiling as if I wasn't going to try and kill them. "My sister and I have decided," said the boy. "She'll get to kill you since I killed your friend. That way its even."

His tone infuriated me. It was like they were sharing cupcakes. I leapt towards the female and began attacking without mercy, subtly trying to steer the battle in a way that would make them look at the glass. The boy had his eyes on us, as I had hoped.

At first the girl held back to allow me to attack, but they she suddenly lashed out, sending me hurtling towards the glass with a punch to the jaw. _Oh no! I can't hit that! I have to stop!_ I was able to halt my fall mere inches away from the glass. With a sigh of relief I looked back up at them.

"That was just a soft attack," said the girl. "I was holding back a little to make this a little more interesting. Looks like you're even weaker than I expected. On top of that, you're not even using the various techniques your famous for."

They were both looking at me, and I smiled when my other half appeared behind them covertly. "So you want to see my techniques? Here's one!" My other half yelled out "Solar Flare" and I shut my eyes to avoid the blinding effects, though my third eye still took the full force of the attack. As expected, the glass bounced the light back into their eyes, disabling them long enough for me to make a mad dash to my doppelganger and merge with him.

There was no time to waste so I fired my Tri Beam down at them. I could hear them groaning at the bottom of the large hole I'd put them in, but I must have looked horrified when the smoke cleared to reveal them unharmed. They were starting to look up at me! I fired another blast, pushing them back to their knees.

They were still unharmed! Why wasn't my attack doing any damage? I immediately flashed back to the time I'd fired my Tri Beam at Nappa in anger over Chaotzu's meaningless death. _It's happening again!_ I began to sweat and my breathing sped up. _No I won't let it happen this time!_ I fired off another blast, knocking them back onto the ground, and still causing no damage.

Then I began firing as many blasts as I could. I could feel my body growing cold in spite of the fact that I was covered in sweat. My life force was slipping away. However I would not give up, I had to destroy them.

It only lasted a few minutes before I'd expended the last of my strength and fell like a rock to the bottom of the pit I'd created. Then I heard them. They sounded annoyed, not injured, just annoyed. I had given my best, and it had accomplished nothing.

Tears began falling from my eyes. It had happened again, it was just like with Nappa. "I…I'm sorry Chaotzu!" I didn't care how pathetic I looked, crying into the ground. In my mind, I now had every right to cry.

Gohan, a ten-year-old child, was now Earth's only hope. If I woke up in hell, it wouldn't surprise me. I had failed completely, and worse, thrust an enormous burden onto a young child in the process. I felt a crack as foot came down hard on my back. It was over; soon I'd be back in the otherworld, with Chaotzu.

* * *

I hope you liked Tien's chapter. The next one will be Krillin's. I don't plan on doing anymore perspectives after that. Unless someone has an idea.


	4. Krillin

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z, or have any affiliation or rights to it.

* * *

Yamcha often visited us at Kame House. Since Goku's death, we'd worried that our circle of friends would break apart. Bulma was now busy taking care of her child, and Gohan was engrossed in his studies. Tien and Chaotzu disappeared after attending Goku's funeral, though I occasionally sensed them as they trained in isolation. When Goku defeated Freeza for a second time, our group of friends seemed to grow very close, but by that same token, Goku's death threw us apart.

Yamcha and I were determined not to let that happen so he often visited Kame House, giving me news of Bulma, who he saw occasionally. I would regularly check in on Chichi and Gohan, and even Piccolo who diligently stood watch over them. I had yet to try and reach Tien and Chaotzu, and as far as I knew, Launch had dropped off the face of the earth.

"Check this out," I launched several Kienzan. As far as I knew they could cut anything, though the range was somewhat limited. "Notice anything different?"

Yamcha observed the disks carefully as they flew out into the ocean and eventually fell into the sea as they faded away. "You made them slightly smaller. That should increase their range and speed."

"That's not all," I replied proudly. "I can throw smaller disks more accurately and they use less energy so I can launch more at a time." I could feel a frown coming, something that was, to my dismay, becoming more common. "Vegeta hasn't made any moves yet, he's still sulking about not having his rematch with Goku. We should still try and find a way to stop him just in case."

"I see what you mean," replied Yamcha. "He's been hanging around Capsule Corp, but doesn't care the least bit about his kid. I think he even hates Trunks." His voice became louder with each sentence. "The guy won't even hold his own son, can you believe that?"

I shook my head, breathing deeply. "Piccolo's alright now because I know he cares for Gohan, but Vegeta's still dangerous." I turned to look at him, and Master Roshi who had come out to join us. "So what's the verdict?"

Our master shook his head. "Your attack won't work on someone like Vegeta. From what I've seen of him, he's quite shrewd and your disks still make that distinct buzzing sound. Even under the best circumstance, he'll hear your attacks coming and dodge all of them."

"I agree," added Yamcha, but with a smile. "I've been working on the spirit ball as well. Watch this!" He formed the ball of ki, but this one looked slightly different. It looked more electric. Yamcha then threw it, and the ball began swirling around in the air. "I don't have to move my arms to guide it anymore," he said before telepathically commanding the ball to hit the palm tree on the island. He hadn't put much energy into the attack so the plant was still standing, but there were sparks running up and down the trunk.

"I don't get it."

"I'll have to use it on an animal for it to be obvious." Yamcha looked down at the ground. "I now know that I can never even come close to the rest of you guys, so I stopped trying. This attack is supposed to shock the nerves, and hopefully stun whatever it hits. I haven't tested it though and I hope I never have to." I could relate.

I decided to change the conversation and soon we were back inside the house, catching up on current events while we sipped our coffee. It was a few more hours before we sensed Piccolo moving. Roshi was the first to detect it, and we all knew that something was wrong. What would possess him to start moving again?

Piccolo's ki had vanished by the time we thought to run outside to get a better handle on the situation. Vegeta was now fighting whatever it was that had killed Piccolo, we could determine that easily enough, even at our distance. A cold chill ran down my spine when I realized just how strong Vegeta had become, and when his power suddenly jumped even higher, I instinctively knew what he had achieved. I turned to look at Yamcha who looked just as scared, but Master Roshi was as calm as always, perhaps he saw something else in this.

"I can't believe it!" Yamcha sounded both frightened and frustrated. "How the hell did that bastard become a super saiyan? I thought you'd have to be pure of heart for that!"

"Perhaps he's pure evil." That came out pretty cynical.

"Who or what is he fighting. That's what I want to know." Our master asked the right question. "Only a very strong opponent could push Vegeta this far, considering how strong he would be even without super saiyan." Roshi often found ways to articulate what we were all thinking. "On top of that, I can't even sense what he's fighting against."

What followed were a few tense moments. We sensed Vegeta's power rise, then slowly fall away. There were a few desperate spikes, but ultimately, even the super saiyan was killed by whatever had also taken Piccolo. Then I sensed Gohan, Tien, and Chaotzu all moving. All of them were heading towards Vegeta had died.

"We can't let them go through with this!" I agreed wholeheartedly with Yamcha. "They're flying straight to their deaths!"

"I have no idea what we're up against," replied master. "However, Gohan, and Bulma's young son Trunks are the only ones with a chance of becoming stronger than Vegeta. They have to survive no matter what. The three of us will have to train them." He looked sad. "I'm afraid it's too late too stop Tien and Chaotzu. We'll have to hope that they can some how get away on their own."

I flared up my ki. "Right, come on Yamcha, we have to stop Gohan!" He nodded and we both took off on a course to intercept Gohan. However, considering how far he'd gotten and how fast he was flying, our path would still bring us dangerously close to ground zero.

"It's hard to believe it, but that kid is already faster than either of us." Yamcha hadn't really sensed Gohan when he was serious before. "Guess that should be expected since he is Goku's son."

"Believe it or not, he was noticeably stronger on Namek four years ago." I would know since I was there with him. "He hasn't been training for the past four years so he'd probably be less skilled as well." I upped my speed and Yamcha followed suit. We had to reach Gohan before he reached the battlefield.

We sensed Chaotzu's death and soon after that, Tien pushed himself beyond his limits and died. However we still didn't know what had gotten to them. It was like that entire area was a mysterious zone where everyone disappeared.

By the time Gohan appeared in our field of view, the smoke from the ruined city appeared like a black tower rising up from the horizon. The kid must've realized we were approaching because he stopped and turned, allowing us to catch up to him. He looked very serious, and there was something in his look that I recognized from our time on Namek. I never wanted him to get that look again.

Gohan disguised his anger with a fake smile. "Did you come to fight?" He sounded almost relieved. No doubt he'd sensed Vegeta's death.

I had to shake my head and say "no." He looked very disappointed and betrayed. "Look Gohan, we're not turning our backs on the world. I know that you want to make whoever did this pay, but we have to be smart about it. Vegeta was probably a super saiyan and whatever monster killed Piccolo also got him. We won't stand a chance against it."

Gohan was now shaking with anger, and I could tell that his emotions were starting to take control. He was only a few years off from puberty so it made sense. "I know that you all thought Piccolo was a monster, but he was my best friend!"

"You know that's not true," I argued back, a little too harshly. "Look Gohan, you have to know when to retreat. We'll find a way to destroy whatever it is, but later when we've had time to prepare." Both Yamcha and I knew that he wouldn't buy it.

"I can't do that Krillin!" He turned away from us and Yamcha looked at me, frightened. Gohan could have a very bad temper, but Yamcha had not seen him like this before. His power began to rise. "I know that my dad wouldn't let all those people die!" With that he began flying on a suicide course towards the city.

I agreed, Goku would have flown off to fight the enemy, but when he'd tried that with Tambourine, he'd gotten his butt kicked. "We can't just let him go off like that." I turned to Yamcha, who looked both frustrated and scared. "We'll have to knock him out." He sighed before nodding with a smile. It was obvious how nervous he was, almost as nervous as me.

"This'll be tough." Yamcha and I began flying towards Gohan. "Not only is he stronger than either of us, but he's heading straight towards whatever killed Vegeta." He looked at me. "How are we going to stop him?"

I had already figured it out. "Use your new spirit ball. It won't hurt, him, but it might subdue him. I'll provide the distraction." Soon we were both approaching Gohan at top speed. The kid must have sensed us coming because he stopped just at the outskirts of the city and turned back towards us.

"I'm sorry Gohan." I stopped a few feet away from him. "You have to survive this," I took an appropriate stance, which confused him. "Therefore I cannot allow you to do something stupid like this. Solar Flare!" The smart kid saw it coming and shut his eyes, but it didn't matter because Yamcha had formed his new spirit ball and nailed Gohan with it while his eyes were shut.

It stunned Gohan long enough for me to grab him, but not long enough to escape. Gohan broke free of my grip and dashed further into the city with us following him. "Don't go in there Gohan!" That kid was just like Goku, determined to make whatever did this pay. However just as I was about to catch him, a stray ki blast struck us both, and we tumbled into the wreckage below.

I saw Yamcha landing in front of me. He looked both scared and dead serious. Gohan was unconscious, having taken the brunt of the blast, and we were both inside a partially collapsed house. There was a hole in the ceiling where we had crashed through. "You have to train Gohan and Trunks," he said with a sad smile. "I think they saw something, but they might think it was just me."

I knew what he was thinking. "You can't seriously want to go out there. Maybe we can-"

"Off course I don't want to go out," he replied. "We have no choice, and though I hate to admit it, you'd be a much better teacher than me." It was same as when he went before me during our battle with the Saibamen. Yamcha was never the strongest among us, but always had a big heart.

I shakily got up, the blast made me a little dizzy, but I wasn't as bad off as Gohan. "I'll remember your sacrifice Yamcha. We will avenge you." He gave me a sad smile before flying out through the hole in the roof. My eyes were started to water. I heard talking, the voices of a boy and a girl who were talking to Yamcha. I couldn't tell how powerful they were.

Wasting no time, I picked Gohan up and began searching for an exit. To my horror, there was none, or at least none that wouldn't put me in the sights of those two. I would have to make an exit. I could sense Yamcha fighting, or more likely running and stalling while our enemies toyed with him. When they were far enough away I punched a large hole in the wall and stuck my head out. I was squinting as the dust aggravated my watery eyes.

I could sense Yamcha's power fading. They were definitely toying with him, otherwise he wouldn't have even lasted this long. It felt wrong to just leave him, but I had to get Gohan out of here as soon as possible. Carrying Gohan fireman style I ran through the city streets, but Yamcha's distraction only lasted a few more seconds.

Luckily, this city was on the mainland and I was sure that once we hit the forest, those things wouldn't find us. An incoming ki blast ended my bid for safety. I leapt into the air, and hastily threw Gohan into a crumbling building before the bright light of the blast wore off. They had spotted me, but hopefully not Gohan, and if so I would at least be able to lead them away.

"I thought there was someone else here," said the boy. He turned to the girl Floating beside him. "You see Eighteen, I was right, Yamcha didn't come alone. Smoked him out on the first try too." I didn't waste time wondering how they knew his name.

I took off towards the former downtown area. They both appeared in front of me, sending chills down my spine with their creepy smiles. _If only Goku were here_, was the thought that first occurred to me. Then I drowned the thought out and clenched my fist. I had to be strong for Gohan. He'd end up training himself unless by some miracle I survived. I would make my stand here, and hopefully they wouldn't discover Gohan's unconscious body in the building where I had left it.

"What's the rush Krillin?" The boy seemed to be taking the lead. "Don't you want to avenge Yamcha's death? I'm the one who killed him." He began to float forward to fight me, but the girl stopped him.

"Its only fair that I get this one Seventeen. You killed Vegeta, Chaotzu and Yamcha, and I killed Piccolo and Tien. I should get to kill Krillin."

"I thought we agreed Eighteen, I'll mop up the rest of the humans and you get to kill Gohan. He should make up for that." She shook her head and they began arguing back and forth. They were bickering like siblings, but there was something about them that didn't seem human.

I clenched my fists tightly, adrenaline rushing through me._ My friends are all dead and they were just tallies on these monster's scoreboards!_ Their argument gave the opening I needed to use the solar flare. They turned to face me just as the blinding light hit their eyes. Soon I was down in the ruined buildings heading towards the downtown area and away from Gohan. They began blasting my general area before the blindness wore off and soon a nearby explosion sent me flying through the rubble. I covered my eyes to protect them from the debris.

When the explosions stopped I stood up. A headache was on its way. There was rubble everywhere, and a large slab of building was balanced above me. I saw several dead bodies mixed in with the rubble. The site disgusted me. As I attempted to pear out of my hiding place, the two monsters landed nearby. I could tell by the sound of their voices.

"Do you see him anywhere?" It was the boy's voice. He almost sounded concerned for my safety though I knew that he only wanted to see me die. My welfare meant absolutely nothing to him.

As they talked I snuck a peak outside. They were facing away from me and most likely continuing their search in that direction. Maybe I was safe. _No, they'd probably blow up the entire city looking for me._ Then it occurred to me. _I could use the Kienzan…I could kill them!_

I raised my hand and formed the first energy disk. They were still facing away from me. I threw it and quickly formed another before throwing it. However they both seemed to detect them and dodged. _Off course, the damn buzzing!_ Not I was really starting to sweat, and my pulse took off as I began forming disk after disk and throwing it at them, not letting up until I at least hit one of them. No matter how many times I tried, they kept dodging.

Eventually I ran out of energy and dropped to my knees. I chanced a look up, panting heavily. They were both looming over me with those creepy grins. "A valiant effort." Now I knew that the boy was more talkative than her. He turned to look at her. "How about this Eighteen. We'll both try to kill and the first one wins."

She shrugged and then they both point fingers at me. This was it. I couldn't move and soon I would see my best friend again. Unfortunately Gohan would have to train himself and then pass that training on to Trunks. Maybe Master Roshi could do it, but he didn't know the first thing about aerial combat, something Gohan would need to know.

A beam came out of each finger and I couldn't tell which one pierced my chest first. I fell face first on the pavement. That last sounds I head before losing consciousness was their argument over who got me first.

* * *

I might do another chapter, and I'm thinking about writing other stories in this universe. I hope I got Krillin's character right, and I was also trying to imply something about why the Z Fighters were killed (other than them being outclassed in brute strength) so I hope I did that right as well.


	5. Dr Gero

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

It had been several months since that day. Picking up that newspaper ruined it for me. The battle I was looking forward to, one where my beautiful creations would crush that barbaric ape-man Son Goku would never happen. There was no need to upgrade 17 or 18 to their full power, though considering their insubordination that gave me some sense of security. As for 16, he would remain permanently unfinished, and was now dismantled along with the others. However…

Android 19, my latest and dare I say, favorite creation was done with the procedure. In a few hours I would personally see to the destruction of Goku's remaining allies. If I couldn't hurt him directly, I'd just make him suffer in the afterlife as he watched me tear down everything he ever cared about to build my world. My creations, my children, would replace humanity as the new dominant species!

"When shall we start doctor?" Ah yes, 19 certainly was obedient. If only the other two were as respectful.

"As I said earlier, we'll set out shortly before sunrise. I've chosen Amembo Island just in case we are forced to retreat. I'd rather Goku's friends not know where this lab is." I began flexing my new limbs. I could feel the overwhelming power, if only Goku could taste it that would have been the most satisfying outcome.

"Shall take those two with us?" I followed his gaze to the pods containing 17 and 18. This was a bit of a conundrum, though my better instincts told me to just destroy them now. There was one reason why I kept those two, my ultimate creation, Cell. Maybe I should have nixed that project. I no longer needed that kind of power in my army.

19 was now staring at me eagerly. This would be an important decision. On the one hand, they were weaker than previously intended and there was a reasonable chance that 19 and I could control and deactivate them. Goku's allies, especially Vegeta, might pose a greater challenge than previously thought, especially if the entire group mobbed us at once. On the other hand, they had a history of insubordination, and I had a difficult time deactivating them earlier, albeit before upgrading my own body. Should I have destroyed them along with 16?

I told 19 that I would think about it, and we each began our own preparations for the upcoming battles. The first step was establishing the locations of Goku's allies. They were spread out and assuming the element of surprise, we would be facing them in waves instead of at once.

"19, do you think we would need help dealing with any combination of Goku's allies in a two on two battle?" I don't know why I had to ask, since I had at least as much knowledge.

"No. My data indicates that they are all manageable for us. Either you or I should be able to handle Vegeta, the strongest among them."

This was good. I wouldn't need those two after all. We would be facing them in waves, and none of them ought to be able to touch either of us. Things were set up perfectly. We were good to go, until it was actually time to depart.

We were right outside the lab when I stopped to look back. It would certainly be a shame if we were wrong and another wild card ruined it all. I had everything planned out for the Red Ribbon Army as well, yet Son Goku came out of nowhere to destroy it all. There would be no harm in taking them along. My calculations indicated that 19 and I should be strong enough to deal with them at their reduced level. Surely they wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge us knowing full well how they compared to us.

"Is something wrong Doctor?"

"We are going to take 17 and 18 with us. I don't want to risk another wild card ruining everything." He looked at me with an odd, dare I say worried, expression. He definitely knew of their past insubordination as well as what their true specs were. "Do not be alarmed 19. I stopped increasing their power after I found out about Goku's death. They shouldn't be stronger than you."

With no further discussion we went back inside to rouse the twins, those hellish ghouls. As I found the remote that had been my lifeline a few years ago, 19 pushed the button that opened 17s pod. He knew that we'd be better off releasing them one at a time.

"Good morning Doctor." I had to double check to make sure I'd heard it right. He was smiling at me. Was he actually being polite? "Ah, and you must be his newest creation."

"Yes. I am android 19."

"19?" I expected him to arrogantly proclaim himself as my most powerful creation. "Ah, you must be an energy absorbing model. Perhaps that system is better after all." This was amazing! Yes, he was actually being polite! "I assume we are going to attack Goku."

Off course neither he nor 18 had received the news of Goku's death. 19 looked to me. I didn't feel like telling them, perhaps out of fear of disrupting this seemingly fragile respect the boy had for me. "Actually we are going to attack a city to lure Goku and his friends. I've decided to bring both you and your sister along in case the group is too much for us to handle."

"Off course." He then looked to his sister's pod as 19 proceeded to open it and awaken her.

After a brief eye contact with her brother she looked to me with her own smile. "Good morning doctor. Are we heading out to fight Goku today?" I couldn't believe it was happening. Perhaps their confinement had given them an attitude adjustment.

I cleared my throat. "Well now that you're both up, this is android 19, my latest creation." I gestured towards 19 who was now standing beside me. "Together the four of us will be heading to Amembo island, 9 miles southwest of south city. I chose that place on the off chance that we are forced to retreat. We can't let anyone find this lab."

They both nodded, and though they were smiling warmly I felt the need to clutch my remote more tightly. Surely 19 and I could handle them even if they rebelled. Their power should be significantly lower than their intended full power after all. When we exited the lab I could see the sun beginning to rise. It was around 5 am, a perfect time to give Goku's friends the wakeup call from hell.

We set out immediately and I began to relax. Those two were listening, and 19 was here in case they decided to try something. We were just past the mountains surrounding North City when 17, in apparent excitement sped ahead. I couldn't help rolling my eyes, however in light of his relatively good behavior I didn't have any problems with it. However his sister was less careful and knocked into me as she tried to catch up to him.

"Watch it 18!" They both stopped and look at me apologetically until they noticed something. Both my hands were empty. The remote had fallen into the ocean below! After briefly gaping at my hands I looked back at the two gremlins and saw them grinning. A cold chill ran down my spine, though I felt somewhat reassured as 19 floated beside me, ready to take them on. "What is the meaning of this?"

"We won't be taking orders from you anymore," 17 replied.

"You have betrayed us. I will eliminate you!" 19 really was my best creation so far. However I would need to overcome my fear, as he could not beat both 17 & 18 at once.

"I'll discipline 17," I told 19, and he nodded. At the moment I didn't care about what Goku's friends could bring, beating this two would be enough to ensure our readiness.

17 was such a cocky brat, I would enjoy showing him why this was such a mistake. With 19 keeping 18 busy I was sure he wouldn't be too challenging. 19 had already started battling 18, but I couldn't afford to see how that battle was going. "Shall we begin doc?" I'd have to admit that his acting skills were incredible; to think I'd actually considered the possibility that he had matured.

"I have a schedule to keep. This will end quickly." I rushed towards him and he was caught somewhat off guard as I landed a punch to his jaw. Funny, I thought it would do more damage. Wasting no time, I flew around him and landed a knee kick on his back. He was able to spin and block a few follow-up punches, however I soon broke his guard and kneed him in the gut. "I didn't just stop increasing your power fool. Your combat data is also out of date compared to my own. You're outclassed both in power and skill-"

He cut me off with swift jab to the gut. The pain was greater than I thought, and looking at him, I could tell he didn't feel it as much as I did. "You shouldn't waste time gloating."

No…I couldn't let this stand. There is no way he should have been able to beat me according to my calculations. Thankfully, I could see his movements. He was not overwhelming fast and I had little difficulty deflecting or evading his punches and kicks. Still, he had me on the defensive and I couldn't find an opening. Then he committed to a powerful roundhouse kick, and after dodging, I was able to begin my own offensive.

It felt so good laying into him. I repeatedly landed punches to his face and guts and ended the combo with a knee attack to the gut. While he was doubled over I put distance between us before hitting him with my eye beams, but why stop there? I decided to zap him multiple times. However I had to stop myself when the black cloud of smoke obscured my view of him. My breathing was more labored now, however it wasn't anything a trip to North City couldn't fix.

"Well played doc." A thin beam quickly followed that voice; it was a similar technique to my own, but fired from the finger. It pierced my shoulder before I could react. When the smoke fully cleared, it revealed that 17's clothing was riddled with holes, but his body looked mostly unharmed.

As I clutched at my pained shoulder to stop the bleeding, only one word came to mind. "H-How?"

"Really doctor? I thought you knew your own creations better than that."

He was right and the answer had come the moment the word had escaped my lips. "You threw up an energy shield to evade the most destructive shots while my vision was obscured." My breathing was getting more labored as my heart rate skyrocketed.

"I can't believe you would fall for that." It was 18's voice!

I whirled around immediately. "18!" Though her jacket was torn to shreds and her shirt had burn marks, she looked just as unharmed as 17! As I looked around frantically, there was no sign of 19 anywhere. "What happened to-"

"Don't get me wrong," she replied in a tone of false politeness. "He was doing quite well, even giving me a good run. That was, until his energy began to run out." Her face contorted into an eerie grin at that last part, and I immediately realized my mistake.

It was true that 19 and I had a slight advantage over them initially, but being energy absorbing models we lacked their staying power. My breathing was getting worse. Fighting at this level had more of toll than I had counted on. Turning back to 17, I noted his superior smirk. He was as ready as ever to continue the fight.

"What's wrong doc? I thought you were going to put us in our place." His grin darkened. "I hope for your sake that you haven't run out of steam like that fat clown." He began hovering towards me and noting my own fatigue I began to back away. "You thought you could shut us down and lock us away for months on end, and awaken us at your convenience to do your bidding." His voice was now filled with contempt, it was frighteningly obvious that he hated me. He was furious with me.

"P-Please 17-"

"What? You think begging will save you?" He rushed in, and at this point I couldn't react fast enough. The pain as his knee collided with my gut left me doubled over and gasping. My shoulder had stopped bleeding, but it was also as sore as ever. I felt his fingers wrap around my neck and squeeze. "All actions have their consequences and here's yours." The pain in my gut was quickly overshadowed by one in my chest as his free hand punched through it.

He dropped me, leaving me to die painfully in the ocean from a combination of drowning and bleeding out. The last image in my head was that of those twins from hell, my worst creations ever. They were both smiling, filled with triumph. Would they continue my dream and fight Goku's friends? I didn't know, nor did I care. All I could think of was what a horrid and foolish mistake I had made.

* * *

This is the last chapter of this story. I hope you like my take on Dr. Gero's death and the built in theory of what happened to 19 & 16 in this timeline.


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